Heard on the Radio
DJ on a local FM station: "Why didn't Kurt's and I's paths cross?"
Well...I could have heard wrong. I'm sure that there was an "i" there after "Kurt and", and she was referring to herself. "Why didn't Kurt's and my's paths cross?" Please...! This is "The Slow and Painful Death of the Philippine Education System (Part Deux)".
Happy Birthday, Booboo!
Maximus. Maximillian. Max. Maxidog. Dog. Doggie. Dogbert. Kitty Cat. Spaniard. Boromir. Honey. Baby. Sweetie. Darling. Yellow Yahoo. Yoohoo. Hi.
On 27 January 2000, there was a litter of 12. A month later, almost half succumbed to the parvo virus. On 12 June 2000, I took in the runt (in lieu of man, get dog). It was the first time he had ever seen a garden and didn't quite know what to do. He couldn't walk properly and dragged his right hind leg. In the summer of 2001, the neighborhood vet said he would not live long and advised that we put him to sleep. We got a second and third opinion in another neighborhood. He was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Then he sprained his foot. He ate rat poison. Twice. In 2003, he developed liver problems. In early 2004, he developed heart problems. In December 2004, thousands of pesos and a barrage of drugs later, his vet of almost 4 years finally declared him "normal". My dog is a survivor! Or a drug addict.
Max likes eating bananas, cantaloupe, grapes, and mangoes. He drinks milk and Yakult and Noni juice. He eats ice and thinks it's a treat. He understands the word "treat". He fetches, but doesn't return. He's fat. He's lazy. He sleeps in my room. He's the only one who greets me excitedly whenever I get home. He tries to talk. To him, my lighting a cigarette is a sign that we're taking a walk. He enjoys trips to AHV and AAV (yes, he's
sosyal). He goes to church with me. He's Catholic. God, I love my dog.
Belated happy birthday, Max. I still owe you a peanut butter doughnut.
The Sandman is Coming!
From Neil Gaiman's blog on
http://www.neilgaiman.com, Journal entry for Thursday, January 27, 2005, paragraph 5:
"Incidentally, I'm trying to organise (well, I'm not actually doing the organising) the promised signings in the Phillipines and Singapore before or after the Melbourne convention and Australian book signings this summer. The signing in the Philippines looks like it's happening, but I'm not sure about the Singapore one, as originally I was going be brought in with Dave McKean by the British Council, a plan that was scuppered by MirrorMask, and now I'm not really sure who to talk to. (If anyone in Singapore has any bright ideas, feel free to let me know.)"
If anyone knows when and where the signing will be held, PLEASE let me know =) July? August? Power Books? Fully Booked? I hope my camera flash will work by then. Do I bring all 3 lenses or just the normal lens and 105? How many rolls of film will I use? Hell, is there a decent little digital camera that I can just borrow? Do my Sharpies have enough ink? Should I bring all my Neil Gaiman books and CDs?
An Ode to Mother
I found this taped to my Mom's office PC monitor:
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better place than we found it, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded." - Bessie Anderson Stanley
My Mom has done all this except leave the world (knock on wood). How could any compare?
Oh, wait, I'm not a healthy child! =P
Prayer of the Day
I got this from Ulan today:
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my shape to keep.
Please no wrinkles. Please no bags
And please lift my butt before it sags.
Please no age spots. Please no gray.
And as for my belly, please take it away.
Please keep me healthy. Please keep me young.
And thank you Dear Lord for all that you've done.
How now, brown cow?
"Don't be hasty" - a lesson learned from the Ents. However, as I am frantically trying to get my work life back in order, a hasty post is better than no post at all.
Happy New Year! No new year's resolutions for me because I don't want to set myself up for disappointment. *Although*, I did plan to clean my room up a little more (it's happening, so I'm camping in B's room again...much to her chagrin), to work smarter, to keep in touch with family and friends more often, and to play badminton again (which I did the other day - first time since September! My officemates killed me!). So far, so good. All I need to do is stay on course and find a way for Max and I lose weight. Hmmm....
Entering 2004, I "foresaw" that it would be a difficult year. And it was. But it was good. Nothing great, but good. Lots of interesting changes at work. Very challenging. I do belive that 2005 will see the fruition of my and my officemates' hard work. GO GO GO! I also hope to travel more this year - maybe another trip to Ho Chi Minh City for work, a return to my beloved Bangkok, a visit to my family in the US, a long overdue trip to Europe with friends - who knows? If I control my budget and my team does well, maybe one or two of my travel dreams will come true. Hey, I work hard, but given the time, I party harder!
The most important lesson of 2004? Don't forget to pray. Or to be more precise, do not underestimate the power of prayer. As the Buddhists say, don't just ask for something, but be thankful for everything you have. There are more people out there who need a simple, happy, stress-free life than we do. Count your blessings, spread the love, and do your share for charity. Try it! You may be pleasantly surprised by how good it feels to receive gratitude for small things.
Cheers to 2005!
